


never a dull moment

by renecdote



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Bruce Wayne is a Good Dad, Cass loves her siblings, Dick has not-so-secret makeup talents, Family Bonding, Fluff, Gen, Tim needs to chill, and they love her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-26 22:20:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13867179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/renecdote/pseuds/renecdote
Summary: The Waynes prepare for a party.





	never a dull moment

**Author's Note:**

> For an anon on tumblr who asked: 'I really don't want to bother you but if your requests are still open i would love to read a Cass centric fic, where her dad, brothers and Alfie are involved. Thankssss 

The water pounds down on the back of her neck, hot enough to make the surrounding air feel cold against her exposed skin. Cass tips her head back and lets the water run down her face, cascading over closed eyelids and dripping off her jaw. The sweat and blood she stepped into the shower to wash off is long since gone, vanished down the drain in pink soap suds, but still she does not move. 

Showers when she was a child were brisk, routine affairs, their only purpose to clean, not to relax or rejuvenate. Showers after she ran away were few and far between, cold and quick when she could sneak into a gym locker room, never enough to get all the grime off her skin. These days, showers are one of the best parts of Cass’s day. She takes her time, scrubbing every inch of her body with various scented soaps, until her skin is red and prune-like. Then she stays under the spray a little longer.

Someone knocks on the door. Tim, calling through the wood, “Come on, Cass, we’re going to be late if you don’t hurry up.”

Cass languishes under the water for another minute before reluctantly turning it off. Cool air immediately swarms around her and she hurriedly rubs drops of water off her arms and legs before wrapping a towel around herself. The mirror is fogged over and she wipes a stripe clear to peer at her face. Her hair, limp and sticking to her skin, drips water across the floor. She leans forwards and squeezes the water out over the sink.

Tim knocks on the door again. “Bruce says we’re leaving in twenty minutes. And Dick says if you’re not dressed in five minutes he won’t have time to help you with your makeup.”

Cass throws open the bathroom door, hair flying around her head and spraying Tim with water. He splutters, wiping at his face, and turns away when he realises she’s only wearing a towel. Cass grins and flicks another bit of water at him.

“Won’t take long,” she promises, heading down the hall to her room. Her dress is laid out on her bed, the yellow bright against the navy comforter. Cass pulls on underwear then shimmies into it quickly, slipping her feet into the white flats that Barbara had told her would complete the outfit perfectly. She runs a comb through her hair then almost runs into Dick as she’s hurrying back into the hallway.

“Woah,” Dick says, steadying her with hands on her shoulders. “Where’s the fire?”

Cass frowns at him. “No fire. Tim says we’ll be late.”

Dick chuckles, steering her back into her bedroom. “Tim thinks you’d spend all night in the shower if given the chance,” he says. “Don’t worry, we’ve still got a bit of time before we need to leave.”

Cass sits down on her bed and watches Dick pull makeup and brushes out of a bag. “He lied?”

“He exaggerated,” Dick says, always ready to defend his siblings, even from the slightest of accusations. He tips Cass’s chin up and begins blending foundation across her face. “Alfred only managed to drag Bruce away from the computer a few minutes ago so he’s not even dressed yet.”

Cass purses her lips. Dick’s thumb brushes over her brow, smoothing out the wrinkles there, and Cass forces her facial muscles to relax. She can be annoyed about her shower time being cut short through deception later. Maybe she’ll get back at Tim by dragging him in front of a few cameras at the party. Dick will probably help. Together they might even be able to get a front page shot.

Dick finishes with a natural blush then swipes gloss across her lips. Cass sticks her tongue out to taste it and grimaces; she hopes it looks better than it tastes. It probably does, she trusts Dick to make her look pretty. 

“What colour eyes?” Dick asks.

Cass hums, listening to the rattle of plastic cases and bottles as he digs through the makeup bag. “Surprise me.”

Out in the hall she can hear voices arguing and then Damian stomps into her room. “Richard, Pennyworth says you must help me conceal the bruise on my cheek.”

“Okay, Dami,” Dick says, concentration never leaving the careful brush strokes he’s painting above Cass’s eyes. “Just hang on a sec, I’m almost done here.”

Cass feels the bed dip as Damian sits beside her and she reaches out to grab his hand. He grumbles but let’s her tangle their fingers together. “You look very smart,” she says, and knows it makes him blush.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Cain,” he splutters. “You haven’t even looked at me.”

“Big sister knows.”

Dick makes her blink so he can add mascara to her lashes and then he sits back and says, “Okay, done.” 

Cass leans forward to kiss his cheek in thanks and giggles when it leaves a smudge of lip gloss behind. Dick grins back at her. He doesn’t wipe the gloss off.

“Oh good you’re here.” They all turn as one when Bruce appears in the doorway, bowtie dangling around his open collar, rainbow-striped feet poking out below black dress pants. “Did you borrow my shoes, Dick? I can’t find them anywhere.”

“Your foot is, like, the size of a clown shoe, B, why would I take your shoes? They wouldn’t fit me.”

Damian snorts. “Your feet are just ridiculously tiny, Grayson.”

“Watch it, brat, do you want help with this makeup or not?”

Cass leaves them teasing each other to approach Bruce. “Let me,” she says, doing up the last two buttons on his shirts and beginning to knot the tie. He smiles at her, but it doesn’t dent the stress lines around his eyes. She makes a mental note to make sure he gets some rest after tonight.

“Thanks Cassie,” he says. “You haven’t seen my shoes anywhere, have you? The converse and formal wear look is cute on Damian but I don’t think Alfred would let me get away with it.”

Cass grins. Maybe not, but it would be amusing. “Last week,” she says, “On Jason.”

Bruce frowns. “Why would Jason need my shoes?”

Cass shrugs. She stopped questioning the things her brothers did shortly after she met them. No amount of skill in reading body language can grant understanding of some of their more ridiculous shenanigans. Bruce sighs. Cass thinks he knows exactly what she means and agrees wholeheartedly. She pats his shoulder in commiseration.

“Hey Bruce,” Dick says, brandishing an eye pencil. Damian’s bruise has been covered up and he’s moved over to Cass’s vanity mirror to inspect the job his big brother did. “You want some eyeliner too?”

For a moment, Cass is sure Bruce is considering it, but then he shakes his head. “Maybe next time,” he hedges, “when we don’t have to leave the house in five minutes.”

“You’re so boring, old man.” Jason is next to enter Cass’s bedroom. If the room was any smaller it would be crowded by now. As it is, there’s still plenty of space for Ace, who trots in on Jason’s heels, a single shiny black shoe in his mouth. Cass crouches down to pull it out, then offers the slobber-covered shoe to Bruce. He takes it with a grimace.

“Bad dog,” Bruce says, but he’s looking at Jason. Cass hides an amused smile behind her hand. He raises his voice, “Jason, where’s my other shoe?”

“Right here,” a British voice replies from the doorway. Alfred, missing shoe in hand. “Blasted dog took off with that one while I was polishing them. Honestly, Master Bruce, how on earth did you get them so scuffed?”

Another frown is directed at Jason. Jason looks entirely unrepentant. Cass admires his total unconcern for Bruce’s displeasure.

“Oh my god-” Tim pokes his head in, bow tie askew. “Are you all just in here chatting? We’re going to be late. Not even fashionably so, just  _ very late _ \- to your own party Bruce. Seriously, that’s not cool.”

Cass rolls her eyes, punching his shoulder. Gently. “Relax, little brother,” she says. “We’re all ready now.”

And in an unruly mob they move out of the bedroom and down the hall. Cass finds her arm looped with Jason’s. She grins up at him, reaches out to loop her other arm around Tim’s elbow, and listens to the playful banter going on as Alfred herds them all toward the stairs. There is, she reflects, never a dull moment with the whole family around.

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr is [here](http://tantalum-cobalt.tumblr.com).


End file.
